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Nyarlathotep
Nyarlathotep is an Eldritch, popularly known as the Crawling Chaos or Bringer of Madness. He is a direct creation of Azathoth, and serves Azathoth faithfully. Yet, despite his well known history here on Earth, much of Nyarlathotep remains mysterious. Only his methods are well known, such as deception, manipulation, and playing the puppeteer. Yet of his objectives, none can saw what Nyarlathotep has in store for the future. Facts: -Nyarlathotep is one of the Outer Gods, the supreme beings among the Eldritch with the Great Old Ones beneath them in power. -Nyarlathotep differs greatly from the other Eldritch in many ways. While most of the Outer Gods are deep in slumber, Nyarlathotep is very active and always has been. Where the other Eldritch are often destructive or corruptive, Nyarlathotep is merely manipulative. And where other Eldritch have their own cult following and secret language, Nyarlathotep regularly uses human language and instead often operates within several cults, many of which are dedicated to the other Eldritch. -Nyarlathotep first appeared to mankind in ancient Egypt where he was worshipped as a god. He assumed a position of leadership and was soon announced Pharaoh (according to the Gnostics). He has been a shadowy figure in history, often appearing as a great leader or genius inventor. A running urban legend within the Order of Gnostics is that Nicholas Tesla was actually Nyarlathotep in his latest human disguise! -Nyarlathotep is extremely intelligent and loves to plan things out. When he acts, he always does so with perfect vision, and he always knows what he wants. Nyarlathotep is cunning and calculating, and he has many, many followers and hidden agents who are eager to carry out his will. -Nyarlathotep is believed to be the "founder" of the Order of Gnostics, at least in the sense that he was the first to reveal the full nature of the Eldritch to primitive humans, resulting in the first human members of the Gnostic Order. -Nyarlathotep has always had a fondness for the Gnostics, viewing them as his unique children. -Of course, while Nyarlathotep may see the Gnostics as his spawn, this doesn't mean he treats them paternally. To Nyarlathotep, the Gnostics are his most perfect creations, but they are still essentially tools to be used. Nyarlathotep uses the Gnostics as much as he loves and rewards them. -Nyarlathotep is a master shapeshifter who has taken countless forms down through the ages. He often grants this power, in a more limited sense, to those Gnostics who worship and follow him. Involvement In Humanity: Unlike other Eldritch who view humanity as beneath them, and usually only prey on them or utilize them as cultists, Nyarlathotep has long been an ally of the human race (of sorts...). In fact, if certain apocryphal accounts given by the Gnostics are to be believed, Nyarlathotep has actually champion humanity, directly involving himself to protect humans from the depredations of other Eldritch. Nyarlathotep has regularly operated, in open, among the Order of Gnostics and the various cults dedicated to the Eldritch. Even in the secular world, Nyarlathotep has frequently traveled in disguise as a great inventor and enlightened thinker. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge which he enjoys imparting unto others (along with his own brand of madness). But it would be foolishness to think that Nyarlathotep cares for mankind. Nyarlathotep is a being who exists beyond concepts like compassion and affinity. Nyarlathotep is the created servant of Azathoth, and he tends to his duties faithfully, including the spreading of madness which is clearly his personal mission. This isn't to say that Nyarlathotep is immoral or even amoral. The truth is much more disturbing - Nyarlathotep acts in favor of humans because Nyarlathotep has plans for mankind. A consistent behavior on Nyarlathotep's part has been the use of madness to effect a psychological metamorphosis in humans. Nyarlathotep has repeatedly used various means of injecting madness into hapless humans in order to re-mold them into his perfect servitors. The Gnostics believe it was Nyarlathotep who wrote the Books of Madness, those forbidden tomes whose pages are filled with insanity-inducing ideas. Why Nyarlathotep favors humanity is unclear, and what his plans for mankind are tend to be too disturbing to think about. But one thing is certain, Nyarlathotep's agents have infiltrated many of the highest ranks in government. Even more fantastically, rumor has it that a cult following of his has actually infiltrated the Brotherhood of Man! Son of Azathoth: It has been said that Nyarlathotep is the most human of the Eldritch, in the sense that he takes human form and often uses human words and technology. This is all certainly true, but many people make the mistake of thinking that Nyarlathotep is somehow less potent for it. The greatest among the Eldritch is Azathoth, who is nothing less than an Avatar Of God! And Nyarlathotep is a direct creation of Azathoth. His power and abilities are beyond cosmic. In terms of playing or writing for Nyarlathotep, assume that the main characters could never hope to physically defeat Nyarlathotep. He is even stronger than most Pagan Gods, and is older than them by far. Of course, Nyarlathotep could also be used as a plot device to help facilitate a running conflict with another Eldritch. If the story involves the main characters having to face down something like Hastur or Shub-Niggurath, they would never stand a chance against such cosmic figures! But if they summon Nyarlathotep, who has his own plans for mankind, he might step in and deal with the Eldritch threat himself, if simply to safeguard his own protracted schemes. *Note: Given Nyarlathotep's relationship with Azathoth and his legacy of darkness and manipulation, several people have made parallels between Nyarlathotep and Lucifer. Like Nyarlathotep, Lucifer is the direct creation of God and allegedly was closest to God among all Celestials. However, Nyarlathotep never rebelled and appears to still be the dutiful servant of the Nuclear Chaos. Occult Underground: Nyarlathotep maintains a constant presence on Earth, usually in the Occult underworld where he leads several cults and is a prophetic-like figure in alternative religious groups. Nyarlathotep usually masquerades as a human member of the Gnostic Order, although he will reveal his true nature to a few chosen faithful. References: -http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Nyarlathotep Category:Eldritch Category:Brotherhood Of Man